News-Record.com

For those of you playing "Senate Budget, the home game," here are some resources:

• * News reports to help you understand the budget from the News & Record, News & Observer, AP, and the Winston-Salem Journal.

• * Click here for the money report. You will find the bulk of the dollars-and-cents numbers here. (PDF)

• * Click here for the budget provisions. This is the budget bill itself, complete with changes to state law made by the budget. You'll find some items in here not illustrated by the money report. (PDF)

• * Click here for the General Assembly's audio page. You can tune into the Senate Appropriations Committee meeting here today. (It will be held in room 643.)

• * Click here to listen to the first part of Linda Garrou's news conference from Monday explaining the Senate budget. (Sens. Charlie Albertson and A.B. Swindell were also there.)

• * Click here to listen to the question and answer part of the Garrou news conference.

Here’s how this plays out the rest of the week: The Appropriations (and maybe Finance) committee makes changes to the document as it’s presented today. Then the bill is heard by the full Senate on Wednesday. Amendments on the floor are possible. It will then have to be heard by the Senate a second time on Thursday. Typically, the debate is far more muted and number of amendments offered is far fewer on that second day of debate.

The budget next goes to the House, which will have to deal with the consequences of whatever numbers come in on April 15. In most years, the “April Surprise” is a good thing for budget writers. This year, well, maybe there’s a reason the Senate wants to pass the budget on before than news comes through.

After the House is done with its version, then the House, Senate and governor try to come up with a workable compromise.